What Costumes Are Used in the Oruro Carnival?
The character costumes in the Oruro Carnaval were created to commemorate people who helped shape the town of Oruro to the point that it is today. Regardless of the nature of the characters depicted, the Oruro people are proud of their cultural story.
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History
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Although the costumes in the Oruro Carnaval appear together in celebration, they were not all created during the same time periods. The Diabladas costumes were created in 1790, when Catholic priests convinced the Bolivian Indian miners their deity, Supay, was a devil, and should be represented as such. Other character costumes and costumes for dancers were added later, and have been improved to coincide with their historical or folkloric story.
Doctorcitos
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The Doctorcitos characters perform a dance routine that satirizes colonial lawyers and the women who assisted them. The dancing men wear a black suit, top hat and cane, while the women wear dark colored long skirts and matching vests.
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Llamerada
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According to boliviacontact.com, the Llamerada characters represent the pre-Columbian story of llama herders that danced to maintain control of their herds. The men's costume consists of short wool pants and wool shirt, wool socks, sandals, a colorful chest cloth, a colorful sash and a handmade plaster mask. The women wear skirts called polleras over another white cotton skirt and a cotton blouse.
Diablada
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A major character in the Oruro Carnaval is the Diablada, or devil. According to carnavalexhibit.org, the Diablada character originated as an underworld deity named Supay who protected the miners while they worked. The Diablada costume consists of a huge multicolored mask bearing horns, fangs, and large eyes that is worn on the head, as well as a wide cape, pants and shoulder shawl often adorned with sequins, gold fringe, beads and Inca symbols.
Morenadas
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Amidst all of the celebration, Bolivians pay homage through their ceremonial costumes to their history and heritage. The Morenadas are costumed characters that represent the Africans who were enslaved by the Spanish back in the 1600's. Their masks are sculpted and painted with various traditional African features, and the body of the costume is comprised of multicolored disks that resemble fringed tambourines in a vertical accordion shape. The costumed Oruro dancers perform the Morenada dance by slowly moving from side to side to represent the forced labor of the mining slave centuries ago.
Caporales
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The Caporales costumes are another important part of the Oruro Carnaval. The Caporales were men who worked as overseers of the Indian and slave laborers, and gained a reputation for their cruel treatment of the workers. The Caporales' costume is identified by bright orange or red pantaloons and shirts with oversized sleeves, and the large brass bells, known as cascabeles, attached to their boots.
Significance
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The Oruro Carnaval is the biggest festival in Bolivia, and taking time to learn about some of the characters and costumes of the carnaval leads to an understanding of the importance and sincerity of the homage that Oruro pays to its history every year.
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